Sorting Rice for the last time, YEAH

Sorting Rice last day January 31

So we sit here and we sort through the rice because it’s not as clean as rice back in the states. Everytime a woman comes in she says hi to everyone. “ASAI” is said and we shake hands. Here in Kenya shaking hands is like breathing, you just do it. Now I’ve been here long enough woman are beginning to ask me what I like about Kenya. Well that’s a loaded question to start with. There is a lot I like about Kenya. Then they ask what is my favorite Kenyan food. Well, living with Alice I’ve had the opportunity to try many things Kenyan. Some of them I have no idea what they are called, but if I liked it I told Alice. The one thing that Kenyan that I don’t like is “UGALI.”  It’s not good, it has no flavor, it sits in your gut and doesn’t move anywhere. UGG I don’t like it, and I tell the Kenyans so. They usually laugh at me and say why, so I just tell them that food should have flavor and arouse your taste buds. Ugali doesn’t do any of those things for me. 

Now we are signing up for jobs at the wedding. When I say that the community comes together to put a wedding on, I ain’t lying! There are 30 women here. It’s kinda awesome that all of them agreeingly come together to do this for a family. Now some might wonder why is the grooms community doing all of this. Well, the answer is very simple. The groom is bringing his bride into his family/community so it is the responsibility of the grooms family to handle the wedding and reception. I’m not sure exactly what the brides family does aside from giving up the bride, getting the dress, and agreeing to the bride price which was 7 cows. And from what I understand they were very nice cows too!  I have no idea what job I’ll be assigned. Hopefully it won’t be anything to messy cause I had a dress made and it’s really nice and I don’t want to ruin it. 

Well I better end this post. Everyone is kinda looking at me as I type my heart out to finish this up.  I can’t wait for the wedding on Feb. 12.  Wait til the Kenyan’s see what I’ve purchased for the bride and groom. YES!!

OK next morning. I'm at school getting ready for my 8:55 class, well I'm really not getting ready as in I'm not in my office. LOL Anyway, got up a bit late today, I set my alarm but dummy me set it to go off on Sunday not everyday of the week. DUH... So I didn't take a shower and got my butt down here as fast as my short legs would carry me. 

One thing I love about Kenya. The way the day starts here is awesome. The sun is up, the air is crisp but not cold, and I can hear the farm animals and birds making noise. LOVE IT!! OH This Sunday the church where I"ve been going is going to start an all English service!!  YEAH, now that makes me happy.  At least I'll get the whole sermon and not just parts that I fit together on my own. That's way more thinking than I'm able to do on a Sunday morning. LOL.

making pie

Well today we made a Banana Cream Pie here in Kitale. Finding everything I needed was a challenge, not because it's not available but rather everything isn't called the same here in Kenya. For example, corn starch isn't corn starch, it's called corn flour. Who would have guessed? I'm anxious to see how it turns out.  The milk we used is fresh milk from Alice's cows. It's actually really good, but it's whole milk and not something I'm used to drinking.


Yesterday we went into town and it was interesting. Alice, it seems, knows everybody in town so she greets everybody and wants me to greet everyone. OY VE... Talk about smiling a lot. It's nice to meet people but it's a little much we you talk to everyone on the street. Here in Kenya it's considered rude to just say hi to someone. It is expected to stop and chat for a bit. Me, being the American I am not used to stopping and chatting up a storm.  But man oh man Alice is so good at it. LOL


OH funny thing I saw in town. A drivers training company called "Rocky Caution" I kid you not! I just about busted a gut. Some things are so funny here. OK then the other day I saw a guy riding a bike that's like a taxi and he had a huge woman on it and man he was strugglin' to get up the long hill. Cracked me up.

The Wind Through The Trees

Today is pretty windy, but it's beautiful outside. Edna keeps telling me the wind makes to much noise and it's way to windy, and I keep saying the opposite.  It's the perfect summer day here. It's not overly hot and the wind keeps the sun at bay by keeping the temp down. PERFECT!


Update of the guy that stole from me. Well I found out he took stuff from Jesse and other people here on the farm, so I'm not the only one. He hasn't come back yet, but Alice heard from him and he says he's on his way back. Boy, he's got a surprise coming. Alice is ready to throw him out on his ear, and he deserves it. I keep telling her we should make him clean out the chicken coop. Needless to say I'm anxiously awaiting his arrival, if he ever shows up that is.


Right now I'm sitting outside on a mat writing this blog. Edna is here along with 7 kids that live on Alice's property. As far as I can tell these kids don't go to school. Well I don't think 3 of them are old enough yet, but I'm not sure on that. Not sure why they aren't in school, but my guess is they are unable to pay the school fees and purchase the uniforms. Now these kids are crying and I asked Edna what was up. Apparenty these kids haven't been kind to each other saying things like, "you look like your mother's ____." So Edna is setting them straight with the help of a stick/cane. Well they are all getting in trouble now.  Now the tears are flowing. Edna told me we don't want them growing up thinking their behavior is OK, so she's disciplining them.  Glad I'm not doing it.   


My dog, Simba, was here a bit ago but she walked off somewhere and hasn't come back. OH here she is.  She's a good dog, well she is for me. The African's think I'm nuts cause I call to Simba and when she comes I pet her and praise her. Well maybe I am, but she's a good dog and I like her.

But it's not Cold!!

It's a lovely 75 degrees outside or there abouts, and Edna closes the window cause she says it's cold. OMG!! That's the way it is here in Kitale. The temperature hasn't gone above 90 yet, and yet all of the Kenyan's tell me it's so hot! Cracks me up! I tell them it's perfect outside and it's not to hot at all. I do however, realize that being so close to the equator I need to be careful outside in the sun, and so I am for the most part. lol


Today we went into town and I'm having made 2 dresses and 1 shirt. I'm going to a wedding and I need to look adorable, and the second dress is for Church. Then the shirt is just because I want one. I'm excited!!! OH and I just might wear one of the dresses to CPBC when I get back home. Once we got back home it was time for me to get to school and teach my 8th graders. Well I was a little late, but that's ok. I came in the classroom and started with the lesson. Then they had questions they wanted to ask. So I said sure ask away. These kids took exams yesterday and they had questions on some of the questions on the exam. They asked me about some vocabulary words, "seldom, harbor, debit, and a few others."  Well I went over each word with them and then they had to use them in a sentence. I tell ya, these are great kids. I just love them!! After school I headed home pretty quick. I wanted to get some stuff done, but I got derailed.


I was in the sitting room and I looked outside. What did I see you ask? Well I saw a 2 calves in the yard and I thought it was supposed to be in the pasture. Well boy was I wrong.  Edna had to call the cattle guy to come and get the calf away from it's mother because she's a milk cow. Then I was trying to round up the other calf to get put in it's large pen. Well I guess me and cattle don't get along cause I sure as heck couldn't get that calf into the right place.  It ended up first in a field where a bull was (big mistake) then the calf got into the pasture with the sheep. After that I gave up on trying to get it back to where it belonged. What can I say, I'm a city girl. DARN!!! These 2 calves are so darn cute! I named them Buster and Bruiser. LOL  Yes, I name the animals that I like. I haven't decided what I'm going to call the bull.  Maybe Rider, as in Bull Rider cause I bet no one has ever ridden that bugger!!  I wonder if Brendan Clark would give it a try? LOL

crickets and birds singing, oh and the occassional cow moo-ing

It's 7pm here in Kitale. Alice left this morning to go to church to pray and she said she would be back by 3:30. She's late. But then again that's not anything new. Time isn't that important to many Kenyan's, well the ones I've met so far at least. As Edna says, it's African Time! lol


Today I didn't go to school. The kids had exams all day long so there wasn't any point in me going. I'm glad I had this day just to take it easy. I sat outside in the shade and read for a long time. It was heavenly. I've found though that I love killing those pesky ants. There kinda big and black and brown. It's kinda fun to kill them and then tell them, "Not on my watch you don't." LOL


I just finished tea and biscuits. The biscuits are basically graham crackers but a bit sweeter and they go great with my chai tea. Well it's tea and the Kenyan's call it Chai for the most part.  Dinner won't be ready until 8 or 9pm.  Lunch was great. Edna made minced meat (hamburger meat) mixed with onions, tomatoes, cilantro, soy sauce, and I don't know what else and it was served with rice. OH and AVACADOS!!!! Did I tell you these are fresh just off of the tree? OH man are they good to eat!!!


Well it's time to close the windows and close the curtains. Can't let the bugs in you know.
Until next time, 

Church on Sunday

OK, so today at church the choir sang, like they always do. Well there's this one young man, I'd say he's probably 26 or so and the smile on his face is amazing. Why may you ask? Well, this young man, his name is Elvis, (I kid you not) is an orphan. His parents died years ago. He and his brothers are basically poor. I'm not sure if he has a job or not, but his brother Oliver is the Choir director at church. There are 4 sisters in the family, 2 are still home with the brothers. So if you think of them pray for this family. They are precious people and love the Lord.


During church the pastor preaches in Swahili and in English. He throws out English words here and there and I'm able to follow along with what he's teaching. It's actually fun because I have to pay attention and paying attention sometimes is difficult for me to do.  lol


When we got out of church there was a slight breeze blowing and it felt so good. Yesterday I had my hair braided. I think it looks silly, but the Kenyan's all seem to love it. The top of my head is sun burnt but it doesn't hurt so that's good. I plan to leave the braids in until tomorrow after school, then they are coming out.


The guy who stole some money from me will be home today. I think Alice is going to send him packing. I told her I wanted to have a chat with him and I will. I'm very disappointed in him and I know Alice is furious with him. As for being to hard on him, well I will be hard on him. #1 It's wrong to steal!, #2. You don't steal from friends and he said he was my friend. #3. I'm not the only one he has taken money from in this house. It's time he learns the value of stealing gets him nothing in return.


I must sign off now. My puter is running low on power and I must charge it before we lose power again. LOL

The Wedding is approaching

Today we went to Muttai's home for lunch and meet the guests that came up from southern Kenya (the Brides Family). This was a first for me. The groom bought 6 cows for the bride price and the family went to see the cows to make sure they were good cows. OK, now there were negociations going on as well, but I'm told an uncle handled that end for the Muttai family. I have no idea what was said, but apparently all went well today. The wedding is on Feb 12, and there are still a lot of work to be done to prepare the food. We are still sorting rice and we will butcher a steer and chickens soon. UM no I won't be doing any of the butchering. 


During the family gathering of both families apparently it's common for multiple members of the family speak about the upcoming wedding and what it means to the family and community. There are so many traditions here that we in America have no idea what they mean and how truly great they are. I love the fact that the family came up here to Kitale to see the cows, and then everyone (both families) gathered together and talked about the upcoming marriage. Everything was spoken in Swahili so I didn't understand a word. Well most of the day was in Swahili and therefore, I didn't understand the conversations going on around me. I kinda felt left out, but learning both Swahili and Kallegin is difficult. I get the two mixed up all the time. UGG.


After the Wedding thing, I walked home (it's not that far) but I stopped by school to see the kids. Being at boarding school I figured if I stopped by maybe the kids would like it. Well they sure did. Two girls ran up to me when they saw it was me and gave me hugs. Then the girls sang a praise song for me which was wonderful. When I left, I had to because the sun was setting and I had to get home before the sun went down, I heard Michael call my name, Madam Cait! So he came outside the gate and asked what I was doing, so I told him I was going home just up the road. Michael lives at the school and supervises the kids on the weekends (these kids even go to class on Saturday) Well being the sweet young man he is, he walked me to the gate to the field that I cross to come home. I thought it very sweet of him to do so. This week was special because #1 A boy carried my books for me, and #2. A young man walked me home.  OK, both are firsts for me.  I think I like it here!

Cooking Cabbage

Jan 21,

With company coming over for dinner I felt I should at least help out. I asked if I could cook the cabbage and so I did. I sliced the cabbage thinly then grated carrot. In a hot pan I put in some cooking oil, then onions, tomato, garlic, salt, soy sauce (a tiny bit) and the cabbage. YUMMY.  OH and cilantro too. YUM - O.

The rest of the dinner consisted of mixed veggies (peas, carrots, and maise) in a cream sauce that’s really yummy, and fish. Now I’ve eaten fish that Alice has cooked before, but this fish I just couldn’t eat. I saw the eyes and I just couldn’t do it. Something about those eyes just got to me. Mary told me that all of the animals that we eat have eyes, but I told her I don’t see them. So I didn’t eat the fish.

Here in Kenya they eat dinner rather late. But then at around 5pm or so they have tea and with the tea is usually something to eat. I’m getting kind of used to eating late, and I’m really liking the whole tea thing in the afternoon. I especially like the tea. It tastes a lot like a Chai Tea Latte from Starbucks. OH and in Swahili Chai means tea, so when you say Chai Tea, you are actually saying Tea Tea. LOL  Hilarious stuff.

I wish I had a video camera here. If only. RAT

OH on a side note.  The guy whom I suspected of stealing 1000 ksh from me, well apparently he had to ask for change down at the gas station down the road. So you could say that guys ass is fried. As soon as he gets back I'm going to lay into him a big one. hehe this should be fun!

power problems tonight

The power is out again. Why? I have absolutely no flippin' idea. It's kinda cool though because we ate dinner by candlelight and I love to do that.. I wish I brought a head lamp and a small lantern that I use on the river. RATS!

life is hard, sometimes

Sometimes life is hard, especially for animals

Jan 20, 2011

I waited for Alice today because we both needed to be at Legacy Schools this morning. As we walked out of her field we say a lamb laying in the ditch just off of the road. Well the poor little thing got hit by a car or truck and couldn’t walk. To make matters worse it was dying and there was nothing we could do for the poor little thing.  Alice called to her tenants and one of the men came out with a machette. We walked away then, so I don’t know exactly what happened. I can only guess.  Anyway Alice said that we needed to do something because the dogs would come and finish off the lamb and then leave the carcass to rot right there on the side of the road. So that was a great way to start my day. yippee

Well last night Alice and Edna asked me to check my money in my room, so I did. What I found was 1000 ksh missing. Without even being told I had a really good idea who took it, and I’m not happy about it.  OK to begin with I understand that 1000 shillings isn’t all that much money in American dollars. In reality I don’t really care about the 1000. But what really bugs me, oh shoot it just pisses me off, ok? But what bugs me is that the person whom I believe took the money professes to be my friend. I know he took it because Edna saw him go down the hall and then she heard my door shut.  So I know who it is. BUT get this, he had the gall to ask me yesterday if he could “borrow” some money because he wants to go see his girlfriend outside of Nairobi. Did I believe him, NO! Was I initially going to lend him the cash, honestly I was thinking on it. NOW, well I’m going to have to put the fear of God into him. AND NO, I’m not going to hit him, although it is a good idea. LOL.  What I’m going to do is tell him I’m going to seek God’s answer on who stole my money, and then we will see what happens. Somehow I knew I couldn’t trust the guy, don’t know why but it was my gut telling me not to trust him. (Thanks Gibbs)

walking the road

When I walk to school the first thing I do is walk through a field that usually has cows grazing in it. As I get to the fench I climb over the barrier and walk up to the road. Now the road isn't what you would call a great road. There are pot holes and no lines down the middle. So yeah, it's a basic free for all.  What I've noticed lately is that the dust that gets stirred up by the cars and trucks (lorry's) is amazing. I mean if you want to wear something twice (pants mostly), you can basically forget it cause of all of the dust that is in the air. The vehicles drive on the side of the road to avoid the pot holes, but in doing so they kick up the dust. It's a no win situation walking and thinking you'll stay clean. It just won't happen here. I'm not complaining at all considering I don't do my own laundry (thanks to Edna) but it sure would be nice if the dust was at a minium. I know I spelled that wrong, I never said I was a good speller. HA!!


Then as I'm walking the road more people are waving and smiling at me. Apparently it's a rare thing to see a muzoogoo (white person) walking anywhere. I, happen to be an exception to that notion here in Kenya. Today I stopped on my way to school by the house where I have fans. I call them fans because everytime they see me coming the kids yell "muzoogoo, muzoogoo." and they come running. Well today I stopped and talked a bit with the mother and another man. I told them I was teaching at Legacy, and they were genuinely pleased that I'm there. Then the man asked how long am I here in Kenya and I told him until Aug 2 and he was really please. He said, "I am happy you have come." So that made my day and it was only 10am.


Now I'm thinking of getting a little adventurous.  I want to take a motorcycle taxi into town to go to the ORANGE store and get more airtime for my modem. I'm told it should only be 100 ksh to go and that's like $1.25 so I'm thinking I just might do that tomorrow after I get here at Legacy. 
I don't want to be dependent on Alice and her family all of the time. I'd like to be able to do something on my own. We'll see and I'll post what happens. 

I have a Request, so please help me out here

OK I know I'm a little early to worry about this but I'm stressing about it so I need a little help. I need someone to tell me if 1hr 50min is enough time to get through Immigration and customs in Houston? If it's not, then I'll need to change my flight from Houston to Portland, which means I'll get in a little later that same day.


OK my friends, help me out here. If you find out the answer comment back OK


Thanks!!!
KitaleCait

We are on a Roll Now

Jan 18 2011

Life in Kitale is coming along really nicely. Meeting lots of new people and making new friends. On Sunday instead of going to church with Alice I was asked if I could come down to the school’s service and program afterwards. So I went to the school’s church service. It was so special. The kids did a lot of the worship leading and some of the songs I knew from the tune. The preacher spoke for a very long time, which essentially means I didn’t follow along for the entire time. He preached in both English and Swalhili which was really nice for a change. Afterwards I talked with some of the other teachers and took pictures of kids and the school. The program was like a Christmas Party for the staff. They weren’t able to have it in December like they usually do, and I was able to participate with everyone else. We had to stand up one by one and tell our name, marital status, and something no one knows about us. Some of the older men stood up and said how many children they had, and believe me the numbers were high, 7, 10, 11, etc. But then Simon stood (I teach with him) and said he has 2 wives, YES I said 2! and 11 children between the two women. I was floored!!! Everyone laughed at that face I made because I was shocked. Simon is a Christian, but here in Kenya there are different types of marriages. Simon’s marriages are traditional, meaning he can have multiple wives. I want to talk to him further and find out about what life is like with two women in the same house. Simon is the only man at school with more than one wife, and he’s probably the only man I’ll come across that will be willing to talk to me some more. 

The next part of the party was the gift giving. The school purchases small gifts for the staff, and they pick a number and then they get the gift that has that number on it. Now I wasn’t expecting to participate in this part, but my name was called and I went up and got a number and I ended up with a cooking pot, which I gave to Alice when I got home, All of the gifts are items that can be used in a Kenyan home. It’s a good plan and a moral booster for the staff.

On Monday I came to school on time 8am, and took pictures of the assembly and of the kids. Then I went around and took pictures of the different classes starting with STD 3 (3rd grade) I found out the students all want me to teach them, and there are several salt water lakes in Kenya (I didn’t know that). Some of the pictures are pretty good if I say so myself. 

Now today I’m here at school waiting to teach 7th grade English. We are still working on parts of speech, currently working nouns and their plural forms. THEN we have the new books that I bought for the 7th grade too! I’m excited. I think the kids will love them, and today they finally get to see them. YAHOO!! Hopefully soon I’ll be able to get into Kitale Town and find the book stores so I can pick up some books for the library.

Everyday Life Here is a bit different

OK, we went into Kitale Town to pick up groceries and supplies for the house. Now I know some people think Africa is so so different than America, well it is in some respect, but not completely. What's totally different is that the women you see going about their business, shopping, etc all wear dresses or skirts. To see a woman in pants is a rarity. I think I'm the only one that wears shorts when I go to town. Then the amount of respect that is shown is amazing. I'm called Madam all the time, which is still a bit difficult for me to take, but I know it's a cultural thing and nothing more. No one is calling me a ... well you know. LOL 


Then there's the whole shopping thing. Basically all the same stuff you would find in our stores, except as far as I can tell right now there isn't a meat department in the grocery stores. They have some frozen meat in a freezer case, but it's mostly sausages, hotdogs and sliced ham. But the rest of the store is the same as ours. There is a store here, Gigamart, and it's like Walmart in the states. It has everything you can imagine, and stuff you wouldn't even think of seeing in a grocery store.


OK, now most of you know I live on a farm here in Kenya. On the farm there are chickens, sheep, and cattle (mostly milk cows). Now Alice makes her own yogurt here and to tell the truth after trying it, I can't say I like it at all. But the Kenyan's love the stuff. Now the tea we drink is like Chai tea at home, but this is much better than chai at home. Well I think it is at least. When Alice or Edna make tea that make it in a large batch and we drink it at around 5pm everyday. Now it always, and I mean always is made with fresh milk with water. We add sugar to it to taste and I must say it is yummy.


Well the day is coming to an end and the sun is beginning to set here in Kitale. It was a really nice day here, about 80 degrees or so. Did I say it was sunny too? Well it was. 

Oxford English Dictionary

This may sound funny, but I miss my Oxford English Dictionary! As I sit here at the table and post a blog and I write a word that I'm not sure how to spell, I then long for my Oxford English Dictionary!  I know I can buy one in town, but I seem to always forget to do so. I can't wait to get to the book shop!!!

Power issues

Well the power went out tonight for about 2 hours. It's really odd for me, but apparently it happens often. So Alice lights some candles and we eat dinner at 9pm (usual time to eat dinner) by candle light. Then after a bit the power goes out again. Then it comes back on. It's really weird but I'm good with it.


OK, I gotta tell you about the guard dog here. Simba is my friend. She comes to me when I call her and I rub her tummy and tell her she's a good dog. I think I'm the only nice human in her life. She's a good dog too and she keeps this place free of unwanted people. What is funny is I was told that she isn't a nice dog at all, but I find her to be wonderful. She has a little puppy and I named him Spike, after the character in Nottinghill.  He's a funny puppy and he's adorable.


There are kids at the school that need help to attend school. School here isn't like going to school in the US. Here parent's need to pay school fees for their kids to go to school. Public schools here are not good choices either. Often in public schools there are 60 kids in one classroom and the teacher doesn't have the proper materials to teach. That is why going to a private school is so important to many Kenyan's. They want their children to succeed in life and going to a school like Legacy enables kids to do that.  In this district Legacy School is one of the best around, and it's becoming a very important part of this community. I, myself, am sponcering a little boy named Carlos. His mother has no living family and she works for Nelson and Sarah Kosgei (Alice's oldest son and his wife) It's not expensive to sponcer a student either. It's $326.25 for a entire year. This includes uniforms, meals, books, and transportation if needed.  Personally I think it's a great deal. If you are interested in sponcering a student, let me know and I'll hook you up. Be prepared to make a commitment. I'm in this for the long haul. Carlos is in Middle Class which is Kindergarten here and I'm going to sponcer him until he's completed 8th grade at Legacy. 


I can't think of a better way to serve people than to help a child get a good education.  I had the 7th graders write a small essay on what they want to be when they grow up. All of them, 36 student's, want to be doctors, engineers, lawyers, businessmen/women etc. They all have high goals for themselves, and I intend to help one of them get there! What about you?

Dinner at Muttai's Jan 11

Dinner at Muttai’s  Jan 11, 2011

Last night Alice and myself had dinner with the Muttai’s at their home. Now here’s a lesson in Kenyan culture in regards to food. Kenyan’s eat a lot of carbohydrates. It’s just a fact that they do, I’m getting used to it sorta. Maise and rice are staples as well as beans, the kind of beans I’m not entirely sure of, I’ve seen kidney and pinto like beans. Here in Kenya they have a flat bread that is called Chipate` and I personally really like it.   They also have a dish that is called Ogalley, which is basically cornmeal cooked and then formed into a mound or it’s cake shaped. Do I eat it? No, I personally don’t like it because it just sits in my gut. Now meat is a different story.

When they have meat it’s not like what you’d expect back in the U.S. The meat is often cut up into chunks but the bone can still be attached as well as some fat. It’s a challenge to eat it without the fat, but so far I’ve liked the flavor of the dish.  It’s a lot like a stew only the meat chunks aren’t as big as ours usually are. One of my favorite dishes is fried cabbage! Man it is so darn good.  I particularly like to put the cabbage on my Chipate and roll it up like a burrito.  YUM-O.  They serve a lot of greens, but so far I haven’t eaten any that I really enjoy, even though I’ve tried everything and ate all of it that was on my plate.

Fresh fruit is available here and I’ve found that it tastes a little different than at home, and I think it’s better.  The banana’s are a little sweeter than at home, but then again they ripen in your yard or kitchen. Mangoes are especially yummy right now, and there are plums, but they aren’t like our plums. These plums are smaller and not as sweet as plums in the U.S. One of my favorite things here in Kenya are avocados. OK now don’t be too jealous, but these avocados are fresh off of Alice’s tree. YES my friends, fresh avocados every day. If I can find some Tortia Chips I’ll make guacamole and share it with Alice and Edna.  

One thing people should know about Kenyan’s is that when they invite you to a meal it’s rude to not eat. They are sharing with you the best they have and if you don’t eat or drink it, you are slapping the Kenyan in the face. So eat what you put on your plate, even if it doesn’t taste like you thought it would. HEY if I can swallow FooFoo, anyone can eat Kenyan food!

Tuesday Standard 7 West (7th grade English)

Tuesday Standard 7 West Jan 11, 2011

Today’s class was GREAT!! I just love these kids!! We went over the lesson and these kids know their stuff. Then we went to the next exercise which was on Adverbs, Conjunctions, Prepositions, and Interjections.  We didn’t finish the second exercise but the kids are doing really well.  

I think I’ll speak to Simon and see about assigning a writing assignment in the next couple of weeks.

Earlier this morning I got up and took my “shower” and I had a bunch of hot water YEAH. Being here in Kenya is much easier than Liberia.  As much as I love Liberia, Kenya is simply an easier place to be for an extended period of time.

I got to school a little after 8am and the upper school assembly was already in session. I listened to what was being said, and apparently the Kenyan kids do get into trouble. It seems some kids were between the medical facility here and the library which I have learned is a big NO NO. So one of the teachers was lecturing the kids about that. Then he went on and reminded the girls that they can’t have any synthetic hair and their hair must either be braided in very think lines on their heads or shaved very close to the scalp. For some of these girls if they weren’t wearing skirts you wouldn’t be able to tell if they were a girl or a boy. Luckily with the uniforms that are worn it’s easy to tell who is who here at school.   

All of the teachers here, except me, carry a stick with them in class.  OK, I know what the stick is for, but I really don’t agree with it at all.  I can’t imagine striking a kid with a stick. I’m all for discipline and having the student’s obey but using a stick is a bit much I think. But it is what is done here in Kenya and in other African countries as well.  One thing is for certain. I won’t be carrying a stick in class with me.

Went into Kitale Town and bought 162.87 worth of books for school. And I thought I wouldn’t need but $300 bucks a month. HA!!!!  But class was really good with the 7th graders and the books will only help them, so it’s all good!

I even walked around Kitale Town a little on my own. Up until now I’ve had someone with me, but today Susan and Jonah (our driver) were in a second book shop and I went down to a Safaricom store to see about adding time to my modem. Turns out that store couldn’t do it so I walked back. On my way I walked in front of a textile store and some of the fabrics are so pretty. I’ll need to pick one and have a dress made for the Wedding. Me in a dress? Stranger things have happened.

Monday at Home Jan 10

Monday at Home:

After school today I went to help plan the Wedding of Sammy Muttai and Eve (don’t know her last name). YES, I’m part of the village here so I get to help. The other women who are helping all said that I’m Kenyan now because I’m helping with the wedding. Kinda makes me feel special. Next Monday I’m told we will be sorting rice. Apparently the rice that is purchased isn’t totally cleaned up and we will do that by hand. Then we’ll be peeling potatoes and butchering chickens and a beef cow/steer. I was asked if I knew how to cut meat, I answered “I’ll peel potatoes.” LOL  This wedding is on Feb 12 at 10am and then the party is at 1pm on the Legacy School grounds. Ann, Steve Muttai’s wife, told me that there will probably be about 1000 people there at the wedding. And it’s not like they are inviting all of these people. A wedding here in Kenya is a celebration of the union of two people that the entire village takes part in. Everyone celebrates, everyone eats, and everyone has a good time. Ann also told me that I’ll need to buy a suitable dress for the wedding. She said that I will look like a Kenyan, only I’ll be white. lol. 

Alice and I walked home from Mary’s house and it was dark. There are no street lights here since it’s basically farm land, so walking home was a challenge of not falling down. It seems that whenever I go to Africa I fall down somewhere. And I fell on Saturday walking through the field where the cows graze in front of a bunch of little kids. Totally lame on my part, but it is becoming the norm for me when I’m in Africa.  Once we got home I took my shoes off cause I have a blister on my baby toe. RATS.... Thank the good Lord for Mole Skin, right?

Tomorrow is a big day.  I’m buying textbooks for the 7th grade class. The school doesn’t have any of the ones that need to be used, so I’ll pick them up.  Hopefully I’ll find some books for the library as well.

Monday at School Jan 10

Jan 10, 2011

Monday at School

Once I got my rear-end to school, I caught up with Richard, the other teacher of 8W English. Since we are co-teaching the class, I needed to tell him that we didn’t get to the essay because of the class dedication. OK so I found him and he didn’t get to the essay either because of the overflow of 8th grade student’s in one class. So today I’ll get the kids writing an essay that has the first couple of lines already written for them in their text book. Then I think I’ll assign homework, a 5 paragraph essay and the topic is their choice. 

Tomorrow I want to go into Kitale Town and purchase books for my 7W class. I’m co-teaching that class as well, but I’m using another book. The school doesn’t have enough copies of this book, so I’m going to purchase them when I go into town tomorrow. Hopefully it won’t be too much money.  

So far I like teaching here at Legacy. The other teachers are really nice and helpful and the students are great! I didn’t know but the upper school grades 7 & 8 and the kids in those classes all board here. They see their parent’s one weekend a month. That’s so odd to me. I couldn’t imagine not seeing my two kids during the week while they were in high school. A lot of things here are modeled after the British and I guess boarding schools are included.  

Lunch is at 12:40 here and it’s probably rice and beans or maise and beans. I just hope there is some cabbage to go with it. lol

Getting to school on Time

Well for those who don't know, I walk to and from school everyday. I have a problem though. There are many children who aren't in school and I meet up with them on my way, and I just can't walk by without saying hello to them. So I stop shake hands with them and say hello, and then more kids come out and so I do it all over again. Then I end up being late to school, well the assembly at least. I just can't walk by these kids and not greet them, that would be rude (they wouldn't know that though).

When the little girls shake my hand they curtsey(sp) it's very adorable. What would happen if girls did that in the U.S.  Imagine American kids being totally respectful? WOW a concept!

Well I am at school and it's time for me to walk around and see some classes.  I'll go check out the 3 year old class and see how Ammon and Jonathan are doing today.  They are so cute. I just love them!

An Observation

There’s something that I’ve noticed with Kenyan’s. Their attitude towards children, babies in particular, is so different from American’s. Here in Kenya if a woman has a baby it’s not uncommon for the man to come and hold the child, talk and play with the baby. It’s really quite extrodinary to see and to witness. Michelle, the 4 month old here, is a perfect example. When ever one of the men who work for Alice comes into the house and if Michelle is up, they will just come over and hold her and play with her. And they’ll do that for however long Michelle wants to play. Often if it is an older man, he would put a gift or money in the child’s clothes, he would not give it to the mother. In doing so, it shows that it is a gift to the child and the mother is responsible to purchase something for the child. I just find this so cool in this culture and realize that in American culture this doesn’t happen and how sad that is for us an a culture. To me it’s lacking in substance in American culture.

Jan 9 later this day

After church and the blessing, I walked home with Edna, Eunice, and Sarah which isn’t far at all. The church is just across the road from the road Alice’s house is on.  Anyway after we had lunch, consisting of maise and beans, veggies in sauce, cabbage, and flat bread I took my iPod outside and started listening to music. Well it sure does draw attention to oneself. I’m looking forward to my mp3 player being here so I can just play my music and share it with the people who live in and around Alice’s house. 

Church today was good. The pastor preached on 2Peter 1:1-8. Not that I understood everything that was said in Swahili but Alice leans over and gives me a brief version os what the pastor is saying. One thing I really like about the Kenyan church is the worship, well not really the singing part it’s more along the lines of how they worship. The Kenyan’s love to worship God and it shows on their faces and in their actions. I don’t think they could not move to the music. Most of the worship songs there are movements that go along with the song. As the choir sings, they move and sway with the music, and at times they really get into the music and the meaning. You can look around and see huge smiling faces on the people in church and with the choir members. It’s really awesome to witness and experience.  I’ve seen my church worship, Kent does an awesome job and I love to worship with Kent at the piano, but I doubt that my church will ever worship like the Kenyan’s. I think it’s kinda sad actually.

It's Sunday, but yesterday we ...

Jan 9 Sunday, but yesterday we ...

Yesterday was a busy day here in Kitale. We went into Kitale Town where I bought a mattress for my bed, now I don’t have to sleep on a foam mattress that has no substance to it YEAH, and then I picked up a baby walker for baby Michelle.  Hopefully it will enable Edna to get stuff done a little easier. Then I looked at shoes and I found a pair that I must have, only I can never let PETA know what they are made of. LOL

Then it was off to the grocery store. There we picked up some things that a few families could use.  These families are basically orphans who are living with a older sister or a grandmother. One of these families has a 7 year old daughter that has never been to school. This little girl also has Aids and is on some medication.  Alice and I started talking and thought that if we can find a sponsor for her to go to school she just might have a chance at a better life here in Kenya. The girl’s name is Maureen.

It's Friday, but Sunday's Comin'

WOW Friday has come and school was pretty good. I sat in Richard's 8th grade English class and watched how he taught. In the afternoon I begin where he left off. Instead of just one section of English these 8th graders are getting 2 sections. Which is good especially when they take their national exams. Then after that I sat in Simon's class with 7th graders. I sat in the back of the class and observed how he taught. In this class I'll be supplementing with other material that the school has. It should be fun. These kids are so good, not anything like American kids in the 7th and 8th grades.


Today at lunch I sat with a bunch of other teachers and ate Maise, beans, and cabbage. Yesterday we had rice and beans. Maise is a staple here in Kenya. It's a lot like corn only larger and chewier.  It's not my favorite, but when you mix it with cabbage it ain't to bad. They usually ask me questions about the States, and I answer as best as I can. A lot of misconceptions arise too, which is kinda funny.  Some Kenyan's think that all of America is Christian, and everyone goes to church. So it's interesting to set some things straight with the people here.


It is so nice here. I just can't believe the weather. Today was another awesome day. The sun was out, there was a slight breeze, and the air smelled so nice this morning. This morning when I got up I got ready for school and I was excited to walk down to Legacy, but I was a little late getting there.  I'm still trying to figure out how long it takes to walk to school. Today was the first day that I actually walked all the way. I'm still adjusting to the altitude, but I know it will get better. Yesterday when I got home I was so very tired, but today I feel pretty darn good. I even got home late because of the 8th grade dedication. I'm looking forward to getting into the school day with these kids. They are great kids. I can hardly wait to begin working with them on writing a composition. Those who know me know I love to write. hehe


Alice is home now from a funeral.  It seems that life here is often cut short, and many people die here that wouldn't in the States.  It's odd, but it's a reality here in Kenya.

Drinking Chocolate

January 5, 2011 Drinking Chocolate 

First real day of teaching here in Kenya. Great kids, all 26 of them. Very polite and respectful.  I’m in the dinning hall drinking hot chocolate, or drinking chocolate as the Kenyan’s call it.  I just finished talking to some other teachers here and they are really nice folks. Funny too! Well they think I’m funny at least. 

I found out that my luggage that was lost will be here on Saturday. YEAH I’m so very happy.  I just hope all of my stuff that is in there is still there.  

So I was walking to school today and Edna was with me, and she waved down a friend to give me a ride to school. Edna is Alice’s daughter and she does so much for me. She washes my clothes, cleans my room even after I clean it, and remakes my bed everyday. I told her she doesn’t have to do all of that, but she says it is the way in Kenya and that she is happy to do things for me. Anyway, I told her I wanted to walk, but I guess walking is only reserved for those who have no form of transportation, which is silly in my mind.  I would prefer to walk to and from school.  It gives me some time to reflect and it’s good for my health as well.  

Yesterday here at school I had to use the toilet, but Mary Muttai was not here so I had to use the hole in the ground. YES I peed in a hole in the ground. Believe me I was not prepared to pee in the hole.  But Mary later told me that I can use her toilet. Thank the Lord above.

Edna has a 4 month old little girl. I think I’ll buy something for Michelle that she needs so Edna won’t spend the money on it. 

The school here needs books for the library. So if you are reading this start thinking about how we can collect new books for this school.  I’ll be looking into where we can ship them to and how much it will cost.

Teaching in Kenya

I'm teaching a 7th grade English class in the morning. All of the 26 student's are borders here at the school. You can't compare teaching here in Kenya and teaching in the states. My student's are so polite. They stand when they answer a question, they say welcome and hello together as a class when I enter, and they obey! I tell them to write, they write. I tell them to listen, they listen, and no one speaks out of turn.  I do believe I've been ruined for teaching in the U.S. every again. 


The school where I'm at is large, there are over 900 student's: grades pre-K to 8th grade. The school has 2 buses that pick up children and takes them back home. Some kids come on the local small busses, while other's walk to school like me.  There are about 150 kids that board here at the school, and they all say they like staying at the school. The main reason is that when they are home they must do whatever their parent's tell them and they never have any time for friends, so boarding at the Legacy school is the best way to go.  


Well it's time for tea, so I must go to the dining hall and grab a cup of tea.

The house where I live

January 4, 2011

The home where I’m living is a set in a park like setting. There are trees all around and a heage about 6 feet high with barbed wire running through it. Yes, you wouldn’t want to walk through it.  As you walk up the steps of the porch you turn right and walk into the enclosed veranda. Everyone takes off their shoes before entering inside the home. When you step into the front room or sitting room you see 2 couches and 2 chairs and a coffee table. There is a small TV in the corner of the room, but the reception isn’t really good so I seldom watch anything. From the sitting room you look directly into the dinning room, where the table sits 6. My bedroom is a good size and I sleep on a double bed that needs a new mattress which I plan to purchase this weekend along with a few other things. The toilet and shower are two seperate rooms (if you can call the water closet a room that is) and the flush the toilet you need to pump the handle several times to get the water flowing fast enough to send the stuff down the drain. Showering is a lot of fun. There is no running hot water, but plenty of running cold water. I have a bucket with hot water and I add cold water to it so I can use it to bath. Believe me it feels wonderful when the warm water runs down your back. I use the cold shower to wash my hair and rinse off for the most part. Somehow I’m getting used to the cold water, and thankfully it’s not as cold as it could be. Now the kitchen is a lot like how a kitchen should look, only most Kenyan kitchen’s are smaller. Sink, stove, fridgerator, countertops, and cabinets are a lot like the kitchens we have in America. There’s a back door in the kitchen where a lot of people come into the house.

The floors are all tile that is cleaned everyday. Yes, everyday the floors are mopped by hand, no mop is used by Edna at all. Even with our shoes off before we come into the house, the floors get dirty enough that Alice wants the floors cleaned.

I can’t wait to hear the rain on the rooftop which is made of metal. I’m guessing that it will be loud, but it will be wonderful at the same time. The sun rises at about 5:30am to 6am and sets about 6:30. It is totally dark here by 7pm

So far Kenya is proving to be a special place, but I think that this entire area is a lot different from the rest of the country. The weather is the best in Kitale, even though everyone says it is hot, it really isn’t hot at all. I consider hot weather like in Arizona around Phoenix, but Kitale is more like Seattle during the summer. It’s perfect! LOVE IT!

A Side Note For those who want to know

January 4 -- A side note

Yesterday while we were in Kitale, a few things happened that I thought was funny and odd. Here we are walking down the sidewalk going to the Safricom store to get my phone activated and purchase air-time. OK, so here’s this American (me) walking down the sidewalk and trying to be considerate of others. Well guess what? I found out you don’t do that here. If you do, you’ll get nowhere fast. The Kenyan’s push and plow through the crowd. Then if you are in line somewhere the Kenyan’s have no concept of personal space. They stand right up against your back, so if you turn around you brush against them and believe me that’s not necessarily a good thing. This was explained to me by Isaac who drives Mary and myself around when we need to be driven to town. AND Isaac stays with us and carries the bags. He’s very sweet and when I ask him a question he always answers me and fills me in on what I need to know. 

After we finished with my phone, Alice and I waited out in front of the store for Isaac to bring the car. So we are standing there and Alice knows everybody in town I swear, so we say hello and happy new year to many. Then this elderly man comes up and wants to shake my hand and wish me a happy new year. Then he starts talking, but he’s talking in Swahili and I don’t understand a word he’s saying. Then he says to Alice and she translated for me, “I think I would like to marry this woman.” OK, now those who know me know that I’m not looking for a husband, so I immediately say NO NO and shake my head. Alice is just cracking up laughing at the whole situation. What made Alice laugh so much was the simple fact that this man was older, and he was obiviously drunk. All I can say is I’m glad Alice had a good laugh over this. It was kinda funny anyhoo.

Busy day in Kenya

Jan 3, 2011

Went to the school today and met the Headmaster and the teachers.  On Wednesday I'll go to the school and begin meeting all of the children and get to know the teachers.  I'm excited.
After the school we went into Kitale and I bought a cell phone, a modem for my computer, air-time for my phone and modem, and then we went shopping for some food stuffs that Alice needed. After that we went back to Alice's little shop and then we went over to Mary Muttai's for tea.  We were late 1.5 hours late, but I've learned that Kenyan time is often late.  Tea was great and I'm finding I really love it.  OH and I also love the philosophy of drinking coffee here.  Coffee should be drunk with milk and sugar!! I LOVE IT... LOL

We finally got back home at 8am after being gone all day long.  I'm tired today. The weather is awesome here and I love the warm days and cooler nights here in Kitale.  I've also discovered that I really like fried cabbage.  It's really good people, and I can't figure out why us American's boil the stuff when it can have flavor. Go Figure!!

Until tomorrow..... This is Kitale Cait signing out. LOL

Church today

January 2, 2011

It’s Sunday and we go to church.  Alice and I walked across the road to the church. I sat in front and immediately I’m surrounded by kids.  A little girl named Faith sat next to me and she kept looking at me and finally she smiled. A bunch of little boys sat in front of me, Owen, Eamon, Carlos, and two others that I didn’t get their names. Now these kids were sitting through church and they were being really good. They didn’t sit perfectly still, but they didn’t make any noise or disturb the service in anyway. 

After church and the end of service greeting, where you greet every single person in the congregation I came home for lunch.  The rest of the day was spent reading, and organizing my room yet again.

I’m finding Kenya to be really beautiful. The weather is gorgeous, and the people are more than kind to me. 

Family Kosgei

January 1, 2011

OK, today is Saturday and it was a busy busy day for me here in Kitale. The day started with a quick shower, well not really a shower, but I had HOT WATER and I’m grateful for the hot water. Then breakfast with Alice. We then, Alice and I, walked to church and the service lasted over 2 hours. I was greeted by every single person there today. Needless to say it was LOTS of people. After church we walked back to Alice’s house through the cattle pasture (yes cattle pasture I kid you not) Then we decided to go into Kitale to pick up a few things. 

Isaac drove us into Kitale where Alice and I went into a market to pick up some shampoo, soap, deodorant, bread, and some cookies. I also bought a air-time card so I can call home. I have yet to purchase a phone. I wanted to do so today but the store was closed. Apparently New Years Day is a holiday of sorts (go figure lol)

After the store, we went to Nelson’s house for a family party.  Talk about a large family.  The Kosgei family is really big. At the party today there were approximately 50 people plus kids (and God only knows how many kids were there) I even got to participate in the Kosgei family meeting. Ha Ha Nickolas I got to be there and you didn’t.  It was awesome.  I’ve never experienced that type of family before. All together there are 20 Kosgei kids. But remember there are 2 mothers, each gave birth to 10 kids. Now you get all of them together and you might expect a argument to break out, but that didn’t happen. The Kosgei family truly care for one another and to be with them was so special to me. 

Tomorrow is church (yes again Vera LOL) and hopefully not much else to do. 

Nairobi Kenya

December 31, 2010

After waking up at 5am so we could get on the road to Kitale at 5:30am we were off on a roadtrip up to Kitale. Michael, Beaitrice’s husbands brother, drove us up to Kitale. He was GREAT because he became my own personal guide. We drove to the rim of the Great Rift Valley where we stopped and I took some pictures. Michael explained to me about how the Massai still are a nomadic people group as well as other tribes in Africa. 

This trip took us all day.  We had one potty stop, but that’s another story not for the blog.

Michael stopped at different places to tell me about what we’re looking at.  When we crossed the Equator we stopped and Michael told me to take a picture of the sign because not every American can say they stood on the Equator.  COOL huh? 

Once we got to Eldoret, we stopped to visit a little with Lucy, another sister of Nickolas’. She’s a nurse and she had a woman in labor when we stopped. Talk about being greeted like I was one of the family!  We talked for a little bit and then we were on our way again to Kitale.  The road after Eldoret was a rough one, but not half as bad as the roads in Liberia. 

Once we reached Alice’s house we unloaded the car and came in. Stella showed me my room for my stay here in Kitale, and then she told me I could take a nap if I wanted to do so, which I did. 

Traveling all the way here left me really tired and worn out, but I believe in a few days I’ll be totally back to my normal.  oh oh watch out Kitale, here comes Cait.

Dec 31, 2010

I finally made it to Nairobi. I managed to get myself to Immigration without any problems, and through immigration with only a little teeny tiny problem. The Immigration officer stamped my passport and then told me he’s only allowing me a 3 month Visa, but I tried to explain to him that I already had a 6 month Visa. He wouldn’t listen, so I’m not sure what I need to do, aside from contacting the American Embassy in Nairobi and find out from them what I should do to correct this misunderstanding.

Once I got through Immigration I went to locate my luggage. Guess what? YEP I came up short a bag, and it was the bag that had my hiking shoes, MP3 player, and Nelson’s laptop. So I got in the Que and waited to let the baggage people know of my lost bag. MAN I am glad I bought orange duffle bags. They were easy to spot in luggage claim. Those bags of mine stood out like neon green against a black background. Never again will I ever purchase black luggage like so many other people. I am so thankful I was able to buy my orange duffle bags.

So I talked to the lost luggage people and gave them the information and then off I went to go through Customs.  At Customs, the lady asked me questions, and I must admit I kinda fibbed.  By this point I was so tired and worn out I just wanted to get out of there and to the lady holding the sign that said CAIT NEEDHAM. Once I finished with customs I walked out and saw my name and I claimed my name!!  Stella was there wating for me, Thank the Lord Stella was there!

After introductions, hugs, and exchanging money we were off to Stella and Daniel’s home where I met their 3 kids. Ian, Elizabeth, and Stacey.  Now I must say that these children are beautiful, adorable, and very sweet. Stella fed me breakfast, and then I took a wonderful shower. After my shower, I took a nap. I only wanted to sleep a couple of hours but Stella let me sleep for 4 blissful hours. 

I found out later that Stella and Daniel live in what is called the Eastlands, a section of Nairobi where mostly Kenyan’s live. Stella told me that an European or Westerner would live in the Westlands or the Northlands.